Pipe-plug.



G. W. MCGUTCHBN.

PIPE PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1912,

Patented Oct. 14, 1913* GEQRGF, W. ECCUTGHEN, @E MRICOPA, GALFORNI.

PIPE-XP'LUQ.

Specileation of Letters Patent.

Patented (Det. 14,1913.

Application :tiled November 18, 1912. Serial No. 732,145.

To all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that lt, GEORGE 1W. Md'

CUTGHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maricopa, in the county of Kern and Sta-te of California, have invented a new and useful improvement in Pipe-Hugs, et' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pipe plugs and particularly to pipe plugs which are adapted more particularly to plug the lower end of oil well pipes, and the principal object is to provide a plug which can be readily dropped to position and expanded when so placed.

lt is also an object to provide suitable means to hold the members of the plug in their inexpanded position and to provide means foi-'lowering the plug in this position.

lt is' a further object to provide locking means which securely tion when the latter is expanded as desired.

in the drawings accompanying this specification and forming therewith the application for Letters Patent: Figure 1 is a perspeetive View of the plug in its assembled inexpendable form. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows., Fig. 3 is a view of the plug showing the latter expanded inthe lower end of the well casing. Fig. i is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Heretofore in the operation of oil wells, operators have experienced considerable diiliculty in properly closing the lower end of the casing to prevent undesirable lifting of material below this point when the oil is being pumped.

This invention overcomes the above dith- -ulty in supplying a plug which is readily inserted in the casing and lowered to position where it can be expanded by means of a weighted tool to' eiciently plug the lower end of the casing.

More specifically in the drawings like numerals indicate similar parts in the different views, 5 designating the casing of a well, in the lower end of W ich is shown the plug 6. This plug 6 is formed of two approximately semi-cylindrical sections. These two sectionsl being provided with parallel diametrically located planes, which are inclined about an angle of 15 to the axial line of the cylindrical surface of the members. At oppositely disposed ends when assembled these parallel faces result in forming tangential surfaces T to the cylindrical surface at this lock the plug in posi-- point so that the result of the cross section of the plug when expanded is approximately of elliptical form. The inclined surfaces. are serrated transversely to the axial line providing the saw-teeth 8 which are adapted to register and lock with one another, as clearly shown in the drawings, either in the assembled or the expanded position.

Axially disposed grooves are cut in the inclined planes, these grooves 9 registering and acting as guide ways in the operation of expanding the plug. To secure the members of the plug in the inexpanded or assembled position, as spoken of previously, bores 10 are provided in the smaller end of each one of the members, which extend radially therethrough at right angles to the planes and register with smaller bores 11 in the opposite member which are threaded to receive the screw 12, its head being preferably counter-sunk in the bore 10. These screws are sufficiently heavyY to hold the two members together in the assembled position, as shown in Fig. 1, but not so as Kto resist the shearing action of the adjacent' edges of the groove formed by the bores in the metal of the members when pressure is applied to the upper end of the plug. With the plug in its assembled position, its cross section is such as to slide readily in the "casing, the upper end of the lupper-most chamber being provided with the staple'13 to which suitable means may be attached, to lower or pull up in case it does not slide easily to the bottom of the well. YWhen the lower end reaches the end of the bore and the end of the casing, a weighted tool or plunger isdropped on the upper end until the screws are sheared and the upper members slide to the expanded position as shown in Fig. 3, stretching the casing and making a tight closure.

The screws shear easily in such relation that a portion projects into the oppositely disposed groove way and assists in the guiding of the two members in their proper and efficient plugging of the end of the casing.

What 1 claim is:

1. A pipe plug, comprising a pair of approximately semi-cylindrical members hav- -ing inclined diametric planes and provided with interlocking teeth thereon inclined, said planes also having longitudinally disposed and registering grooves, and means to secure said members in assembled form, whereby when force is applied to shear said securing means the projecting end of said means will slide in the groove'causing the shear to bores, and bolts seouredin said bores to hold guide said members. said members in assembled relation, said 2. A pipe plug, comprising a pair ,of slidbolts being sheared under pressure to oneoof able members having inclined engaging said members and forming guiding pins. 15 5 faces provided with interlocking teeth, In Witness that l claim the foregoing l forming a cylindrical cross section when ashave hereunto subscribed my name this 8th sembled, the said members having oppoday of November, 1912. sitely disposed projecting ends, said engag- GEORGE W. MCCUTCHEN. ing faces also having longitudinally dis- "Witnesses: v H) posed and registering grooves intersected by W. MCCTCI-IEN,

a plurality of oppositely disposed threaded W. GS'IEINHOFF. l 

